Suspicion

The light of dawn is just beginning to break when Mike is prodded awake. He opens his eyes to find both Layla and Becca standing over him. Layla sighs, then bends down and removes his binds.

“Ok, Mike. Here’s what’s happening. We’ve discussed our options, and you’re right. We’ll go back. You will vouch for us.”

Mike raises an eyebrow. He was pretty sure he heard some of the ‘discussion’ in their tent the previous night, and from the sound of things, it was quite the pleasant night. However, this sudden change was suspicious. Still, this was probably the only way to ensure everything was taken care of. And despite the abduction, he feels no real desire to see these two hurt. And if he’s perfectly honest, the thought of winning them over was enticing for other reasons…

Mike dusts himself off as he stands up. “Fine. I wouldn’t expect you to have as easy of a time as I had, however. You’re going to have a lot of suspicion on you.”

Layla nods. “We know. You have to understand, we didn’t realize our situation…”

Becca cuts in. “And honestly, we hadn’t considered the benefits of this until now.”

She winks at him, and even Layla smiles a little bit. Mike chuckles and shakes his head. “I’ll be honest, I hope we end up getting along.”

He offers a hand, which Layla shakes. Becca, meanwhile, grins at him. “So, shall we go? You can introduce us to your girlfriend. She looked like a cutie!”

The three of them start back towards the facility. Mike glances around before they go, marking the location in his mind. He has noticed that they have already hidden their gear and weapons. Whether they were sincere or not, they’re hedging their bets. In the end, though, at least this gets him back to everyone else.

They walk in silence, though he catches both Layla and Becca throwing glances his way. It seems his presence is still affecting both of them. Mike chuckles to himself again. Keeping a close eye on them could be fun after all.